Differential gear



Filed June 5, 1921 UNET? f JAMES HERVEY STERNBERGH,

time

tl @t OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

DIFFERENTIAL GEAR.

Application led June 3,

T all 107mm it may concern.'

Be it known that I, .IAMns HERVEY STERN BnneH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Reading, in the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania,`have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Differential Gears, of which the following is a speciiication. y

My invention relates to differential gear construction and my object is to provide improved pinion carrying means whereby troublesome and costly machining operations are eliminated without reducing its efficiency or strength. The improvements are fully described in connection with the accompanying drawing and the invention is clearly delined in the claim.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section, on the line 1-1 of F ig. 2, indicating a known type of differential gearing with my invention embodied therein. And Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, 5 represents a usual driven casing, parted vertically for convenience in assembling its enclosed gears, and held in united position by bolts 6 engaging spaced circumferential flanges 7, 7

of the respective casing parts, a driving ring gear S being held between said fianges by the bolts' 6, all as heretofore. This circular casing is mounted in well known'manner in a fixed housing and provided with bearings and a drive connection for the ring gear 8, none of which is shown because common and well understood. The inner ends 9, 9a of the parted shaft extend into the casing from. opposite sides, being rotatably supported in central sleeve extensions 10, 105L of the latter; and upon each end within the casing is keyed a side gear 11 or 11a, while four pinions 12, 12, 12, 12 meshing side gears produce the differential drive of the divided shaft in well known manner,

These pinions 12 have heretofore been spaced and mounted upon a spider having a hub portion fitted upon the inner hub extensions 11b of the side gears l1, 11, and

1921. Serial No. 474,608.

radiating pinion studs, which mounting required a special casting or forging and accurate and troublesome machining.

My improved mounting, as clearly shown in the drawing, comprises tworolled bars 15, 16, cut from commercial stock, crossed at right angles and extending diamet'rically between the spaced inner ends 9, 92L of the shaft. Each 0f these bars 15 and 16, is centrally notched at 17, as shown, so that when crossed their axes will lie in one plane, with their notched intersection at the axis of the divided shaft, and their outer ends 15a, 16a, held in recesses 18 in the meeting faces of the casing wall. The pinions 12, 12, 12, l2 are simply strung upon the outer portions of the crossed bars 15 and 16 upon which they freely rotate as required. The outward movement of the pinions 12 upon the bars 15 and 16 due to the centrifugal throw of the rotated casing 5, is limited by the casing wall, while inner movement thereof is ordinarily limited merely by the meshing of their bevel teeth with the side gears 11 and 11a; though if desired the bars 15 and 16 may be provided with a stop or shoulder to prevent such inward movement of the gears.

My improved construction above described is very simple and inexpensive and under severe service has proved very substantial and effective.

`What I claim is:

In differential gearing mechanism, a divided drive shaft having gear-carrying ends vspaced-apart to permit the location therebetween of a radial-armed pinion carrier, a driven casing therefor provided with radial bearing-recesses, and a pinion carrier comprising two bars engagingly crossed at the shaft axis between said spaced-apart shaft ends and forming pinion-carrying arms arranged in a common plane and adapted to enter said bearing recesses.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JAMES HERVEY STERN BERGH. 

